Comparisons of Quantity

Comparisons with Nouns

Dan is tall. (Tall is describing the noun Dan.)
Dan is taller than Mai.

Notice that we are using the verb "be" (am, is, are, was, were) with
adjectives. We also use adjectives with the verbs taste, feel, look, seem,
sound, appear
The coffee tastes good.
Your coffee tastes better than my coffee.
My coffee doesn't taste as good as your coffee.
You look tired.
You look more tired than I do.
I don't look as tired as you do.
I feel terrible.
I feel more terrible about it than they do.
They don't feel as terrible about as I do.
You seem confused.
You seem more confused about the problem than I do.
I don't seem as confused about the problem as you do.

We can compare adjectives, but we can also compare the quantity or the amount of a noun.

MORE
Dan has 3 books. Mai has two books.
Now you can compare the quantity/number of books.

Dan has more books than May (does).

There are more people in New York City than in Seattle.
Dan drinks more tea than coffee.
There is more rainfall in Seattle than in Los Angeles.

FEWER (use this with count nouns)

Mai has fewer books than Dan does.
There are fewer people in Seattle than in New York City.

LESS (use this with non-count nouns)

Dan drinks less coffee than tea.
There is less rainfall in Seattle than in Los Angeles.
Equality & Inequality using AS MANY ...AS AS MUCH ... AS
If you have the same number or quantity of something.
Count Nouns = As many --- as
Henry made five mistakes on the test. Vivian made five mistakes on the test.
Henry made as many mistakes on the test as Vivian (did).
Non Count Nouns = As much ... as
Jerry lost $200 at the casino. Tim lost $200 dollar at the casino.
Jerry lost as much money at the casino as Tim (did).
You can't count the noun "money." However, remember that you can count the word
dollar. You can put an "s" on the word dollar---dollars.
Jerry lost as many dollars at the casino as Tim did.
Inequality = Not the same number Not As Many ...As Not As Much ...As
Count Nouns - Not As Many ... As (The same meaning as fewer than.)
My living room has 4 windows. My bedroom has two windows.
My bedroom doesn't have as many windows as my bedroom does.
My bedroom has fewer windows than my living room does.
Non-count Nouns - Not As Much ... As (The same meaning as less than.)
A big city has a lot of entertainment. A little city doesn't have very much entertainment.

A little city doesn't have as much entertainment as a big city (does).

A little city has less entertainment than a big city (does).

In other word and up to now, we have used adjectives in our comparisons.

These comparisons are slightly more complicated than comparisons of quality in that we first
have to decide whether the noun is a count noun or a non-count noun.
With non-count nouns we use the irregular adjectives much and little to indicate equality:
as + MUCH + non-count noun + as
as + LITTLE + non-count noun + as
Karen has as much money as Susan.
Tom has as little clothing as Tim.
James drank as much water as Jane.
With count nouns we use the irregular adjective many and the regular adjective few to
indicate equality:
as + MANY + count noun + as
as + FEW + count noun + as
Karen has as many coins as Susan.
Tom has as few shirts as Tim.
James drank as many glasses of water as Jane.
With non-count nouns the positive degree is used as follows to indicate a difference in
quantity:
form of DO + not + verb + as + MUCH + non-count noun + as
form of DO + not + verb + as + LITTLE + non-count noun + as
Karen does not have as much money as Susan.
Tom does not have as little clothing as Tim.
James did not drink as much water as Jane.
With count nouns the positive degree is used as follows to indicate a difference in quantity:
form of DO + not + verb + as + MANY + count noun + as
form of DO + not + verb + as + FEW + count noun + as
Karen does not have as many coins as Susan.
Tom does not have as few shirts as Tim.
James did not drink as many glasses of water as Jane.

NOW workout
Directions: Make sentences comparing nouns. Use More.
1. (Make a comparison with a count noun.)
______________________________________________________
2. (Make another comparison with a count noun.)
______________________________________________________
3. (Make a comparison with a non-count noun.)
______________________________________________________
4. (Make another comparison with a non-count noun.)
______________________________________________________
Directions: Make sentences comparing nouns. Use Fewer.
1. (Make a comparison with a count noun.)
______________________________________________________
2. (Make another comparison with a count noun.)
______________________________________________________
Directions: Make sentences comparing nouns. Use Less.
1. (Make a comparison with a non-count noun.)
______________________________________________________
2. (Make another comparison with a non-count noun.)
______________________________________________________
Directions: Make sentences showing equal quantity. Use as many...as
1. (Make a comparison with a count noun.)
______________________________________________________
2. (Make another comparison with a count noun.)
______________________________________________________
Directions: Make sentences showing equal quantity. Use as much...as
1. (Make a comparison with a non-count noun.)
______________________________________________________
2. (Make another comparison with a non-count noun.)
______________________________________________________
Directions: Change the following sentences using not as much ... as for non-count nouns or
not as many...as for count nouns.
1. Harvard Avenue has fewer restaurants than Broadway Avenue.
______________________________________________________
2. There are fewer people in the street at night than during the day.
______________________________________________________
3. There is less light in the winter than there is in the summer.
______________________________________________________

4. A small car uses less gas than a big car.

______________________________________________________

Comparisons with Nouns

Gap-fill exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct comparison words.
more ... than the most fewer ... than the fewest less .... than the least
My new school has (greater amount)
number)

students

my old one but is has (smaler

classrooms and teachers so the classes are bigger than my classes at St. Mary

were. I have to take the JR train to get to my new school too so I pay (larger amount)
money to get to school

when I could take the subway, which was (smaller amount)

expensive. I want to buy a new computer to help me study but the one I want costs
(greater amount)

350,000 yen and I only have (smaller amount)

20,000 yen

in the bankright now because last weekend I went to Tokyo to party with my friends. I hope I
can get a scholarship so I can get (greatest amount)

expensive computer at the

electronics store without having to save my own money for it.